Native America Calling

Menominee Nation files federal lawsuit over Back Forty Mine project

Deputy will not face charges in shooting death of Bad River teenager

Leader of Native organization advocates for diabetes program renewal

Red Fawn Fallis enters plea agreement for actions at Standing Rock

Tests on remains found in Alaska have some people rethinking what we knew about ancient Native ancestors. The process leading up to the genetic testing took years of discussions and consultation. We’ll talk with the lead researcher and tribal representatives from the Tanana Chiefs Conference and the Healy Lake Village Council about what they know about the findings and the work to uncover them.

Beaded medallions are come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Designs include traditional tribal symbols and clan emblems. They’ve branched out to include school colors, sports mascots and even cartoon characters. In this program we celebrate Native America’s favorite beaded ware and try to track down the origins of the craft.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is cracking down on efforts to legalize marijuana use. A new Department of Justice memo rescinds the Obama-era policy that loosened marijuana prosecutions in states. What will this new direction mean for tribes getting into the cannabis business? We’ll talk with experts.

Nicco Montaño (Diné) became the first UFC women’s flyweight champion with a broken foot. The TV show “Ultimate Fighter: A New World Champion” followed her efforts to train and ultimately win the championship title. On this show we’ll talk with Montaño about her passion for mixed martial arts, the importance of self-defense and how she feels about being the first to wear the women’s flyweight championship belt.

Indian Motorcycles. Apache helicopters. Wigwam Motor Oil. Imagery of and inspired by Native Americans is pervasive in pop culture, advertising, artwork, fashion and film. In many cases throughout history Native images have been used as a mark of identity for the United States. Cigarettes, baking powder, motorcycles, TV character sidekicks, American currency and, of course, sports teams are among the places where the public encounters Native images or words. The National Museum of the American Indian’s new exhibition “Americans” focuses on Native American-themed products and references throughout history in context of how actual Native Americans are treated individually and collectively. We’ll talk with the curators about what the exhibition aims to address.

A story about a U.S. Army captain escorting a dying Cheyenne chief to his homeland opens in movie theaters nationwide this week. The movie "Hostiles", stars Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, and Wes Studi (Cherokee). The National Congress of American Indians praised the film for a “culturally accurate portrayal of Native peoples.” We’ll talk with Native consultants Chris Eyre (Cheyenne/Arapaho) and Dr. Joely Proudfit (Luiseño) who worked to make sure the film wasn’t another stereotype-filled disappointment.

Students at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik, a Yup’ik immersion language school, are sharing a Yup’ik word of the week through animated YouTube videos. It’s one of the ways the school hopes to generate interest in their language as they face the loss of more and more first language speakers. Can social media expand the use of Native languages?

The family of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner (Blackfeet) are desperate for information about the 21-year-old. She was last seen in June in Browning Montana. Also, family members of Olivia Lone Bear are offering a reward for information after the 33-year-old mother of five went missing from the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation in October. The two recent cases are a reminder of what advocates say is a serious issue. Canada has made strides in confronting the problem of missing and murdered Indigenous women. But there remain gaps in information and solutions about Native American women.

If you have any information on the disappearance of Ashley Loring HeavyRunner please call:

Blackfeet Tribal police: 406-338-4000, Homeland Security: 406-450-1922, or Glacier Co. Sheriff's office: 406-873-2711

If you have any information about the disappearance of Olivia Lone Bear please call MHA police at 701-627-6141 or leave an anonymous tip on 701-595-3114

The Bureau of Labor Statistics finds about half of all new businesses fail within the first five years. But failure isn’t always the end of the line. In business, those who learn from failure can come back with new successes. In this program, we’ll talk with Native entrepreneurs about when it’s time to fold and what lessons they learned from business failures.